by Aurora Rey
Spring’s Wake
Nora Calhoun keeps her life just like her Provincetown B and B, neat and tidy. She’s thrilled when her niece Graham comes to stay with her while completing her graduate fieldwork aboard the Dolphin Fleet. She’s less than thrilled when Graham starts hanging out with Willa Lange, a sexy wanderer who works for the Fleet and seems to have her sights set on Graham.
At the encouragement of her sister Emerson, Will’s short stay in Ptown becomes a fresh start. She’s doing great—a decent job, a place of her own, and new friends. But when she meets Nora, she finds herself pining for more. The only problem? Nora is fifteen years her senior and doesn’t like her. Can the women overcome past hurts and find love or will their affair leave battered hearts in its wake?
What Reviewers Say About Aurora Rey’s Work
Crescent City Confidential
“Crescent City Confidential is a sweet romance with a hint of thriller thrown in for good measure.”—The Lesbian Review
“[Crescent City Confidential] ticks all the boxes I’ve started to expect from Aurora Rey. Firstly, Crescent City Confidential is written very well and the characters are extremely well developed, I felt like I was getting to know new friends and my excitement grew with every finished chapter.”—Les Rêveur
Built to Last
“Rey’s frothy contemporary romance brings two women together to restore an ancient farmhouse in Ithaca, N.Y. Tension mounts as Olivia’s colleagues and her snobbish family collide with Joss’s down-home demeanor. But the women totally click in bed, as well as when they’re poring over paint chips, and readers will enjoy finding out whether love conquers all.”—Publishers Weekly
“Built to Last by Aurora Rey is a contemporary lesbian romance novel and a very sweet summer read. I love, love, love the way Ms Rey writes bedroom scenes and I’m not talking about how she describes the furniture.”—The Lesbian Review
Winter’s Harbor
“Winter’s Harbor is a charming story. It is a sweet, gentle romance with just enough angst to keep you turning the pages. …I adore Rey’s characters and the picture she paints of Provincetown was lovely.”—The Lesbian Review
Summer’s Cove
“As expected in a small-town romance, Summer’s Cove evokes a sunny, light-hearted atmosphere that matches its beach setting.”—RT Book Reviews
“From the moment the characters met I was gripped and couldn’t wait for the moment that it all made sense to them both and they would finally go for it. Once again, Aurora Rey writes some of the steamiest sex scenes I have read whilst being able to keeping the romance going. I really think this could be one of my favorite series and can’t wait to see what comes next. Keep ’em coming, Aurora.”—Les Rêveur
Spring’s Wake
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Spring’s Wake
© 2018 By Aurora Rey. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13:978-1-63555-036-8
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: March 2018
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ashley Tillman
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design by Jeanine Henning
By the Author
Cape End Romances
Winter’s Harbor
Summer’s Cove
Spring’s Wake
Built to Last
Crescent City Confidential
Acknowledgments
I’m so grateful to everyone at Bold Strokes. You are my people and I love you. Particular thanks to Radclyffe and Sandy Lowe, who run a business I’m proud to be a part of. Also, to Ruth and Carsen for wrangling all the important details, not to mention the writers. And, Ash—I adore you for more reasons than I could count.
Thank you to Tracy for being my writing buddy and beta reader extraordinaire and to Jen for helping me reclaim the library and the lunch hour. I write more and better because of you both.
There’s having your heart broken and there’s being in a relationship that breaks your heart. This book touches on the latter. I know I stayed too long in relationships—of all kinds—that were bad for my soul. I want to thank the people that rallied around me and helped pull me through, who saw what I couldn’t and loved and encouraged me anyway. I also want to thank everyone who has ever trusted me with their own hard story. I’m a better person for knowing you.
Dedication
For Crystal, my femme sister
I’m so glad we found each other.
Chapter One
Will stood on the lower deck of the Dolphin IX, listening to the brief lecture going on above her. Sunshine reflected off the water and, as the boat gained speed, the wind whipped her hair and cut through her Dolphin Fleet windbreaker. They rounded the narrow tip of Long Point and skirted the coast along Herring Cove before heading for open water. It was one of the last whale watches of the season.
Summer had been warm. Even now, in the middle of October, the real chill of fall had yet to arrive. Will wasn’t in any hurry for it. As much as she enjoyed the changing leaves and drop in temperature, it meant winter was fast approaching. She’d yet to spend a winter on Cape Cod, but she’d heard enough stories that she dreaded it already. Of course, weather was only part of the dread. No steady income and no one around didn’t help matters.
But real winter was still a couple of months away. For now, life was good. Will breathed in the sea air and closed her eyes. As she’d taken to doing each time she went out as part of the Dolphin Fleet crew, she offered up a moment of gratitude.
“Where are the restrooms?”
The question pulled her back to the present. Rather than resenting the interruption, she smiled and pointed to the narrow metal door. “Right behind you.”
“Thanks.” The woman led a little boy who looked to be about five into the bathroom.
Will tuned back in to the lecture. She liked Graham’s delivery the most. Although she was still a graduate student, and only part of the crew as an intern, her knowledge base was solid and her enthusiasm for marine life infectious. Of course, Will had a bit of a soft spot for her. They’d started with the fleet at the same time. And while Will was merely a customer service member of the crew, they hit it off. Graham was sweet, funny, and profoundly optimistic. She’d only been entrusted with giving the lecture a few weeks prior and killed it. Will was proud of her, in a big sister sort of way.
She dashed up the stairs to the top deck to say as much, but Graham was surrounded by little kids oohing and aahing over a whale tooth or some other artifact from the talk. Since she was on service duty today, Will didn’t linger. She returned to the main deck and headed to the canteen. Since the weather had turned colder, they sold a lot more coffee than bottles of water and soda. She sidled up behind the counter next to Liz and jumped in.
It didn’t take long for whale sightings to begin and the interior room quickly emptied. Over the speaker, she listened to Graham and Charles, the more senior naturalist, talk about breeding behaviors and the tail patterns used to identify and t
rack the whales. In her five months working on the boat, she’d learned a great deal about whales and marine life in general. She enjoyed it more than she expected, feeling an unusually strong affinity for the wildlife and geography of the waters surrounding New England.
She’d also found her sea legs. When she first started, choppy water would have her bracing her legs and grabbing onto the closest available surface. Now, she’d adopted a slightly wider stance, swaying with the rocking of the boat instead of fighting it. It made serving coffee a hell of a lot easier. At this point, she could serve customers and still steal glances out the window, even catching a glimpse of a whale from time to time between the people huddled along the side of the boat.
The boat stayed out for a couple of hours before heading back to shore. The line at the canteen picked up with people in search of a quick snack or late lunch. She served up clam chowder and chili, hot dogs and pizza. The crowds were smaller now that school had started, but still sizable and always enthusiastic.
Before she knew it, they were back in the harbor and pulling up to the dock at MacMillan Pier. Because she’d arrived early to do set up, Will was off the hook for cleanup. She grabbed her things and headed for the ramp to the dock just as Graham came down the stairs. “Are you done for the day?” she asked.
Will smiled. “I am.”
“Want to grab a beer?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.” They strolled down the pier together. Will stole a glance at Graham, whose eyes were shaded by sunglasses. She had this happy, bouncy energy that Will found infectious. It reminded Will of her own youth. She chuckled. When had she started referring to her youth in the past tense?
“What’s so funny?”
Will shook her head. “Nothing.”
Graham stopped walking and gave her an exasperated look. “Come on. Tell me.”
“I was merely appreciating your joie de vivre.”
Graham raised a brow.
“Really. You’ve worked all day, but you’re still soaking up the sun, looking thrilled to be alive.”
They continued walking. “I am thrilled to be alive.”
“Exactly. And I love that about you.”
They meandered down Commercial Street. Much like the crowds on the boat, the throngs of people in town had thinned. Will considered it the sweet spot—just busy enough to keep things interesting. They peeked in the window at the Squealing Pig, happy to discover only about half the stools at the bar occupied. Will held the door for Graham, who smiled at her then led them to a spot near the back.
Within seconds, they had matching glasses of cold Cape Cod Blonde. Will lifted her glass. “Here’s to a great season.”
Graham clinked her glass. “And to enjoying every minute of it.”
They drank in silence for a moment. Will found her thoughts turning to what would happen next. She had two more weeks with the Fleet, helping to clean and winterize the boats for storage. That would get her almost to Thanksgiving. After that, though, her options were slim. She knew finding a full-time job in the off-season would be unlikely. But she hoped to piece together some part-time work and maybe do odd jobs here and there. For never having owned a house, she was pretty handy. Years working at one of the big box home improvement stores had taught her quite a bit.
“I don’t think I’m ready for the season to end,” Graham said.
“I feel you. Are you heading back to school?”
Graham shrugged. “I’m not sure. I didn’t sublet my room, but I don’t have classes or anything. I need to work on my thesis, but I could do that from here.”
“I’m clearly biased, but I think you should stay.”
Graham smiled. “Thanks. I’ll think about it. I’m not sure my aunt bargained on giving up one of her rooms through December. Speaking of which, why don’t you come home with me tonight?”
Will raised a brow at the suggestive phrase. “Are you propositioning me?”
Graham’s cheeks turned crimson and Will almost regretted teasing her. “I mean, come to my house for dinner. My aunt has a full house for a wedding and is doing a clam bake for the rehearsal dinner.”
That sounded far more delicious than the frozen burrito waiting for her at home. Still. “I’m sure the last thing she wants is an extra person to deal with and another mouth to feed.”
Graham was unswayed. “She’ll have an obscene amount of food. She always does. What if I said you could earn your dinner by helping me with cleanup?”
Will smiled. “Now the truth comes out. You’re looking for labor.”
“So you’ll come?”
Will didn’t mind helping out. She liked feeling useful. “I’ll come.”
“Excellent.”
Will looked down at her jacket. Underneath, she wore a faded thermal shirt. “I should probably go home and change.”
“Relax. I won’t change, either. We’ll stay behind the scenes.”
“All right.” It was a relief, really. This made it seem like she was coming to pitch in more than be fed a nice meal. Besides, she wasn’t sure she had any nice shirts clean.
Graham glanced at her watch. “We should go. I think it starts in about an hour.”
They left the bar and started walking toward the East End. The sun had set and dusk was quickly giving way to dark. “Shouldn’t you let her know I’m coming?”
Graham shrugged. “She won’t be looking at her phone anyway. Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Will matched her pace to Graham’s. If Graham didn’t think it was a big deal, she wouldn’t worry about it, either. She was looking forward to meeting Aunt Nora. From the way Graham described her, she sounded like quite the force. And Will had walked by Failte Inn enough times to be curious about the inside.
She tucked her hands in her pockets and soaked up the last of the day’s warmth. The breeze carried the smell of the ocean and aromas wafting from the restaurants they passed. She’d been in P-town for six months and the reality of it still made her smile. She thought of Graham’s earlier statement. Maybe there was something to be said for being thrilled to be alive.
* * *
Nora crossed her arms and surveyed her back garden. Even without the lush flowers of summer, the space was her favorite. More than the perfectly decorated guest rooms or her meticulously appointed kitchen, the garden soothed her soul. It had been an overrun mess when she bought the place, used as little more than an extra parking spot and smoking area. Now, it was one of the features that drew guests to Failte, and had them returning again and again.
Had it been summer, she would have served dinner outside. But since the temperature would dip into the upper thirties by nightfall, her guests would have to settle for a small fire to cap off the evening. Still, she’d strung extra fairy lights, and half a dozen vintage hurricane lanterns hung from shepherd’s hooks. Even with the chill, the space emitted a warm and welcoming glow. If she didn’t have a thousand things to do, she could stand there and enjoy it for hours. But today she did have a thousand things to do and she wanted everything to be just right.
She turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen. Tisha, her summer manager, was inspecting clams and loading them into steamer baskets. Corn and potatoes were already prepped, along with mussels and a bowl full of lemons, onions, and garlic. “How’s everything in here?”
Tisha nodded. “Right on track. I’ll have the drinks set out before everyone arrives, then be ready to go with hors d’oeuvres.”
“Excellent. Do you need a hand with anything?”
“Not until we start steaming.”
“Great. I’m going to change into something presentable. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Nora headed to her room at the back of the house. Although smaller than the guest rooms, it had the perfect blend of coziness and natural light. The southern-facing window helped, as did the mix of antique furniture and pastel walls. She took a moment, as she always did, to appreciate it before hustling over to her closet. She surveyed her opt
ions, wanting something nice enough for playing hostess and forgiving enough to allow her to work during the party. She settled on a dress with a floral print. It had such a nice cut, she felt feminine even after slapping an apron over it.
She put on flats that looked nice but wouldn’t kill her feet, earrings, and just a little makeup. It was a party after all. She brushed her hair and studied her reflection, grateful the light color belied just how many grays had appeared in the last couple of years. Nora shook her head, refusing to fret about it. She pulled the front half back with a clip so it would be out of the way and stepped back from the mirror. Satisfied with her appearance, she returned to the kitchen.
Tisha greeted her with a whistle. “Don’t you clean up pretty.”
Nora gave her an exasperated look, then smiled. In addition to running things with the same efficiency and attention to detail that she did, Tisha managed to maintain a playfulness in her personality. As someone prone to seriousness, Nora appreciated the balance. Nora gave a little twirl, more for Tisha’s benefit than her own. “Someone’s got to do it.”
Tisha laughed. “Better you than me. I like getting pretty, but charming a bunch of strangers is not my idea of a good time.”
“You say that, but you’re better at it than me.”
“I’m good at scrubbing toilets, too. Don’t mean that’s how I want to spend my time.”
“You make a good point.” When she’d hired Tisha seven years ago, it had been for just that. Well, toilets and cleaning and other housekeeping. She’d returned the following summer and the summer after that, returning to Jamaica each winter to be with her family and work the high season there. Each year, she’d taken on more and more responsibility, becoming almost a partner for the high season as well as a friend. She’d be leaving in a couple of weeks and Nora already missed her.